Wrench



June 15 1926.

G. H. MILLER WRENCH Filed July 23. 1925 ENT R ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,589,206 Parent OFFICE.

GUY H. MILLER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, F ONE-HALF TO HARRY C DIAMOND, 0F ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

WRENCH.

Application filed Jul 23 My invention relates to improvements in wrenches of the type having one or more pivotedjaws, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and clalmed.

An object of the invention is the provi;

pivoted jaw members at one end of the wrench, and substantially in line with the handle of the wrench so that the wrench can be manipulated to turn a nut or like object which is located in a space of a relatively slight area.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a wrench of the character described which will be reliable in use, economical to manufacture, and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in con unction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved wrench, a a

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view mainly in longitudinal vertical section and partly in side elevation, showing to advantage the means which adjustably connect the jaws of the wrench, and

Figure 8 is a perspective group view showing the jaws of the wrenchseparated -from the body of the wrench, together with certain of the elements which are associated with the jaws of the wrench.

The improved wrench comprises a body consisting of a head portion 1 and a handle portion 2. The head portion 1 is bifurcated for part of its lengthby a vertical slot 3 which is extended rearwardly at its upper end as indicated at 4, as shown to advantage inFigures 2 and 3. The furcations which are produced by the slot 3 in the head portion 1 are cut away at their lower edgesto terminate above the level of the lowest part of theremainder of the head portion 1, and

provided at its end with a pair of 1925. Serial no. 45,s54. r

to produce sockets, as at 5 which are located at opposite sides of a downwardly and forwardly projecting lug portion 6 at the lower and rearward end of the slot 3.

The invention contemplates the provision of a pair of jaw members as indicated at 7 and 8 respectively. The'jaw member 7 is the upper j aw member, and has a-shank 7 a which is formed with forks 9 at its extremit T straddling one end of a link 10, and attached to that link by a pivotelement 11. The lower end of the link 10 is pivotally support- 7 ed within the extension 4 of the slot 3 by means of a pivot element 12. The pivot element 12 has the ends thereof fast in alined openings 13 in the furcations of the head portion 1 of the body of the device.

The lower jaw 8 has a shank 14 which is V spaced forks-or attaching cars 15. The latter straddle the lug 6 and are received in the recesses 5.. A pivot pin 16 extends through alined openings-in the forks 15 and the lug 6 and attaches the lower jaw pivotally to the head portion 1 of the body of the device, the pivot element 16 being parallel to the pivot elements 11 and 12.

The lower jaw 8 is enlarged vertically intermediate its length and forwardly of the furcations of the head portion 1, as indicated at 17. The forward end :wall 18 of the enlargement 17 on the lower jaw extends substantially at right angles to the direction of length of that jaw for a purpose to be presently described. A vertical bore 19 extends through the enlarged middle portion of the jaw 8, and is intersected by a transverse bore 20. A vertical bore 21 extends through the upper jaw 7' substantially in line with the bore 19, and is intersected by a transverse aperture 22. An adjusting rod has a screw portion 23 in threaded engagementwith a threaded transverse bore 24 in a block 25 which is circular in cross sectional contour, and is rotatably received in the transverse bore of the lower jaw 8. The screw portion 23 of the adjusting rod is of less diameter than the bore 19, and therefore is loosely received in the latter so that slight rotary movement of the block in the bore 20 is possible. The screw 23 extends-in the bore 21 through the transverse aperture 22 and carries-an operating wheel 26 which protrudes from the opening 22 at opposite sides of the upper jaw 7 and has the periphery thereof formed with a circumferentially extending series of ridges as clearly shown, so that the operating wheel 26 can be conven-- iently and firmly gripped between the lingers of a hand and manipulated to turn the adjusting rod. he wheel 26 may be secured to the screw 23 in any suitable know manner, no means therefor being shown in the drawings, so that the wheel 26 will be rigid with tlie screw 23. It of course is obvious that the periphery of the wheel 26 may be knurled or otherwise roughened instead of being provided with the series of ridges as shown, without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The portion of the adjust ng rod that eX- tends from the operating wheel 26 through the upper part of the bore 21 is formed with a smooth periphe al surface as indicated at 27. This upper end portion of the adjusting rod may be journaled in the corresponding portion of the bore 21, while the threaded portion of the adjusting rod that extends in the bore 21 is of less diameter than the corresponding portion of the bore 21, and is loosely received in the latter.

An expansion spring 28 is disposed between the shanks of the aw members 7 and 8 in the slot 3, and tends to spread the jaws apart. The opposite ends of the OZKPELHSIQII spring 28 may be disposed on almed p111 projections 29 and 30 on the confronting faces of the shanks of the aws 8 and 7 respectively, and these pin projections cooperate with the furcations of the head portion of the body 1 to prevent accidental displacement of the expansion spring 28 from the position shown in Figure 2.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The front end wall 18 of the upwardly extending enlargement on the jaw will partially or completely close the space between the forward end portions of the jaws 8 and 7, according to whether the jaws are completely closed or not. The position of the jaws with respect to each other can be varied quickly and easily by manipulating the operating wheel 26 to turn the adjusting rod, and thereby to move the aws toward or away from each other. The jaws therefore can be quickly adjusted to grip a nut or other object or any one of av plurality of sizes within a considerable range. It is obvious that the wrench may be adapted for use to grip a circular object such as a length of pipe, merely by placing serrations or otherwise roughening the confronting faces of the outer end portions of the jaws. The spring 28 will function in cooperation with the adjusting screw and block 25 to maintain the jaw 7 substantially parallel with the jaw 8 in any one of the various adjustments which may be effected by manipulating the operating wheel 26. Since the jaw members extend from the head portion of the body of the de vice substantially in line with the body of the device, the space between the jaws for the reception of the article that is to be gripped between the jaws will be open at one end of the device, and it therefore is obvious that the device can be inserted in a space of relatively slight area and placed in engagement with a nut or other object that is located in that space, and then manipulated to turn the nut or like object. It also is manifest that a relatively great leverage can be obtained to efiect turning of a nut or like object when the free end portion of the handle of the device is grasped and the nut or'object that is to be turned is gripped between the jaws of the device.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A wrench comprising a body, a pair of jaw members pivotally attached to said body atone end of the latter, said jaws having alined bores in the extending portions thereof, one of said jaws having a transverse bore intersecting said first named bore therein, and the other jaw having a transverse aperture intersecting said bore in that jaw, a screw loosely received in the alined bores of said jaws, an operating wheel carried by said screw and protruding from said transverse aperture in one of said bores, a retaining block journaled in the transverse bore of the other jaw, said retaining block having a transverse bore in threaded engagement with said screw, and an expansion spring disposed between said jaws rearwardly of said screw.

2. A wrench comprising a body having a head portion bifurcated at its extremity, a pair of jaws, one of said jaws being pivotally attached to said head portion at the lower side of the furcations of said head portion, the other jaw having a shank extending between said furcations, a link pivotally attaching the shank of said last named jaw to said head portion so that said pivoted jaws can swing in one direction in the same plane, said first named jaw being enlarged toward the opposite jaw intermediate its length, and having a transverse bore formed through said enlarged portion thereof, a block journaled in said transverse bore, said first named jaw having a vertical bore intersecting said transverse bore, and the second jaw having a vertical bore substantially in alinenient with the vertical bore of the first jaw, the vertical bore of the second jaw being intersected by a transverse opening in iii) the second jaw, an adjusting rod having the upper end portion thereof journaled in said vertical bore of the second jaw above the transverse opening in said second jaw and having a screw portion extending loosely in said vertical bores of said jaws and in threaded engagement with a transverse bore in said block, and an operating wheel rigid with said adjusting rod and protruding from said transverse opening in the second jaw.

3. A wrench comprising a body having a head portion bifurcated at its extremity, a pair of jaws, one of said jaws being pivotally attached to said head portion at the lower side of the furcations of said head portion, the other jaw having a shank extending between said furcations, a link pivotally attaching the shank of said last named jaw to said head portion so that said pivoted jaws can swing in one direction in the same plane, said first named jaw being enlarged toward the opposite jaw intermediate its length, and having a transverse bore formed through said enlarged portion thereof, a block journaled in said transverse bore, said first nanied jaw having a vertical bore intersecting said transverse bore, and the second jaw having a vertical bore substantially in alinement with the vertical bore of the first jaw, the vertical bore of the second jaw being intersected by a transverse opening in the second jaw, an adjusting rod having the upper end portion thereof journaled in said vertical bore of the second jaw above the transverse opening in said second j aw and having a screw portion extending loosely in said vertical bores of said jaws and in threaded engagement with a transverse bore in said block, and an operating wheel rigid with said adjusting rod and protruding from said transverse opening in the second jaw, and an expansion spring disposed between said jaws rearwardly of the extremities of the furcations of the head portion of said body of the wrench.

GUY H. MILLER. 

